Abby & Chase: Change
by AnimeJunkieMA
Summary: After the attack on the Xiaolin Temple, Guan and Dashi flee with Abby, unconscious. After she wakes up she realizes that Chase isn't there so she runs off towards the temple.
1. Where's Chase?

What was it? What was going on? All around her was darkness, but she could feel a light trying to break through. It felt warm, but there was a definite coolness in the air around her. And there was something else, she was moving. Though everything in her world remained unchanged (as far as she could tell) she was moving. But how or where she was going remained a mystery. Was she dreaming? Then something began to break though the silent darkness – voices? They were muffled at first, but then grew more distinctive. 'Come on! We gotta get out of here!' said one of the voices. 'Hurry, this way!' said another. The rest were less distinctive, but they all seemed to be frightened. Was that where she was? Was she running with these bodiless voices? She wanted to know. But soon after this thought occurred she felt that she was no longer moving forward, but falling and fast. Fear overcame her instantly and she struggled to see where she was. But it was too late; she had already hit the cold hard ground. Then she heard one of the voices call out to her.

"Abby!" Suddenly her eyes opened wide to see who just called out to her. At first all she could see was light, but a tall dark figure knelt over her. He pulled her in close to him as she felt the vibrations of the frantic crowds run past them. As her vision became clear she looked up and saw who it was.

"Dashi", she said, "what's –" But her question was broken of by the other voice she had heard earlier.

"Dashi? Dashi!?! Where are you!?!?"

"I'm over here!" Abby looked over Dashi's shoulder and saw Guan climb up on a tall rock close to the stone wall nearby. She saw him scan the crowd for her and Dashi. Once he spotted them he leapt into the air, over the remainder of the crowd, landing softly on the ground behind her.

"What did you do, drop her?" Guan said as he helped Abby back to her feet. "I knew I should have taken her. Now come on, we need to get out of here and guide the villagers to a safe place. There's no telling when that beast will catch up to us."

"You should talk; at least I remembered to get her. If you were in charge she'd still be back at the temple." The temple, Abby had completely forgotten. Where were they all going in such a hurry? She turned around to see if she could see the temple from where she stood. She stared though the sunlight trying to find her home. There, no more than a mile downhill from where she stood, was the Xiaolin temple in ruin. What at first looked like orange light from the rising sun creeping over the temple's sky line was her home of the past five years in flames; black smoke stretching to the red morning sky. Questions once again attacked Abby's thoughts. That temple has been protected by the Xiaolin monks of centuries, fending of innumerous attack of the Heylin's forces. How, in one short night, could anything like this have happened?

" – and besides, Abby's always been Chase's responsibility." Then all the questions stopped, and Abby's mind almost went numb. Only one word remained and clung to her very soul: Chase. She turned back to see Guan giving Dashi the sternest and hardest glare she's ever seen him give in her whole life. She watched as it burned into Dashi. Then she uttered the only words that she knew to exist at that moment.

"Where's Chase?" It felt as if it took everything she had to say those two words only to have them choke in her throat. Though she couldn't see it, she could feel the complete terror spread across her face as she waited for an answer from the only two people in the world besides Chase she could even begin to call 'friend'. She watched as both Dashi and Guan look at her with out a word. She repeated her question. "Where's Chase?" Still no response. Abby began to retreat from their gaze, inching her way towards the destroyed temple. Then Guan reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Come on Abby, we need to go." Abby looked up at him with sad brown eyes and only shook her head 'no'. Guan gently tugged at her wrist. "Abby we need to go now."

"Not without Chase." She began to try to tare herself from his grip.

"No, we need to go now." His voice had risen and become stern. Abby felt his grip on her wrist tighten, but she still tried to wriggle herself loose.

"No!"

"Abby whatever we do we're not going back to the temple!"

"But we have to, Chase could be in trouble, and there'd be no one there to help him! You're his best friend, you have to go!" At this she felt his grip loosen ever so slightly, but when she tried to escape his hand clamp down on her wrist – it hurt. She tried to break loose, but finally she had had enough.

Abby lunged herself at Guan arm, opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could on his hand. Guan gasped at the pain. She felt his hand release her as the warm blood from Guan's hand touch her lips. She leapt back from him and Dashi and sprinted in the direction of the temple. She didn't hear Guan or Dashi calling after her. All she wanted was to find her brother, so she ran as fast as she could towards the remains of her home.

"Abby!" Guan started to run after her, but Dashi appeared in front of him. "Get out of my way Dashi." Dashi didn't say anything at first; he just looked at Guan with his arms crossed.

"What are you doing, Guan?"

"Dashi, we have to go after her. If we don't she'll be – "

" – killed." Guan was silent. His heart sank at the words that almost came out of his mouth, but it couldn't be helped, he knew it was true.

"How could we have let this happen, Dashi?"

"We didn't. This was his choice. It has nothing to do with us."

"But we're his friends."

"Not anymore." Guan looked up at his friend. He knew Dashi was right, he had a bad habit of being right. "It's best we put it all behind us. Now come on, we need to get the villagers as far away from here as possible." Guan nodded. Dashi turned back to the direction of the stampeding crowd and sped off. Guan was just about to follow but then turned back towards the temple.

"Chase Young! If you hurt that girl in any way I swear by the spirit of the earth that you'll rue the day we met!" With that he turned to follow Dashi and never looked back.


	2. Attack

Abby sprinted towards the temple as fast as she could. She just couldn't understand: why wouldn't Dashi and Guan come? They would always come to help her when ever she needed them, no matter what. What had changed? Why, out of all things did they refuse to save her brother? What had happened? Abby's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Did something happen to Chase, something that they didn't want her to see?! Her heart began racing, her head was throbbing. What could have happened that was so terrible? Even though she was only ten she had seen more that her share of terrible things. Including the death of the dragon of fire, Kera, whom she had idolized like a big sister.

Finally, Abby had reached the temple, or rather, the place that used to be the temple. Anything that had made this place resemble her home was now reduced to rubble and ash. Abby fell to her knees, she wanted to cry, but for some reason the tears just wouldn't come. The shock at the demolition of the only place she had called home had consumed her, leaving her numb. It was as if the dry and barren emptiness of the grounds had taken her tears away along with the billowing smoke above. She was unable to move, unable to cry, unable to breathe. "How?" Abby muttered to herself, "How could this have happened?" Then finally, in a scream of anguish, she buckled over cried. She lay on the ground helpless, just praying that she was still dreaming. That at any moment she'll wake up in her room, and that Chase, Guan and Dashi would be right outside her window, practicing Tai Chi as they did every morning.

In what felt like a soulless eternity later, Abby heard a noise, like the smashing of a clay pot. Abby finally snapped by to reality. Another noise, like scrolls tumbling off a shelf. Abby felt her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly she sat up and turned towards the direction of the sound. She slowly rose to her feet as she heard more rustling noises in the distance. She felt a drop of sweat trickle down her face. She went to take a step closer, but then a low, threatening growl came out from the darkness; it was unlike anything she had ever heard before. She was about to scream, but then Abby suddenly heard Chase's voice ringing in the back of her mind: 'when facing an opponent you must never show your fear'. Listening to her brother's advice she quickly gulped down her fears, shook off her tears, and took a fighting stance. She slowly inched her way towards the origin of the sound.

'I have nothing to worry about', Abby thought to herself, 'Chase will jump out and save me before anything bad happens, he always does.' As she continued to move closer and closer to the darkness, Abby saw the outline of what appeared to be a large stone or fallen wall, but then she notice – it was breathing. She took another step, the growling and rustling noises continued. Abby wasn't thinking anymore. Only one word would dare crawl out from her lips: "Ch-Ch-Chase?"

At that the shadowed figure jerked what looked like was its head towards Abby. The creature, now making a sort of hissing sound, took a step towards Abby. She flinched, bringing her hands closer to her chest. 'Any second now'. The creature stepped into the light revealing it's true self. It was huge. Its grotesque form stretched out the length of two grown men. From it enormous head to its snake-like tail was covered in sickly green flesh interrupted by black stripes. Spikes protruded along its spine. Its drooling mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth.

Abby's stance dropped and she was left completely motionless. Unfortunately for her, the monster was not. Almost instantly the beast lunged for her with outstretched claws. She turned to run, but the beast bounded after her. It slashed its mighty claws and caught her ankle. Abby fell to the ground and the monster dragger her back. She looked back only to see its yellow fangs inches away from her. She felt it's hot, putrid breathe on her face. She closed her eyes, just waiting for her life to end, but suddenly a memory flashed before her eyes.

"Now the trick about this technique is using your opponent's own strength against them." Chase said, tapping a training staff on his shoulder. The look on his face was cocky and full of pride.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Abby inquired.

"Well, lets say that I'm fighting an opponent who's much bigger that me…"

"Like Guan?" Abby said with a big grin across her face as if she had just answered a question correctly. Chase twitched. He like being reminded that his best friend and rival had more muscle than he did just as much as he liked being interrupted, and neither of them was high on his list of favorite things. But he tried to put on a smile for his baby sister anyway.

"Yes, like Guan. As much as I hate to admit it, I probably couldn't defeat him on brute force alone. _Unlike some people I like using my head once and a while_." Chase muttered to himself. "Anyway, like I was saying, the trick to defeating an opponent who's bigger than you is to know how to use that strength again them. This technique is basically compensating for any skill you lack by using you own strengths to make your opponent's strength your strength." Chase finished saying with confidence. He looked down at Abby, but instead of her beaming up at his brilliance she just stared up at him blankly. Chase slumped his shoulders, "I knew I was pushing it when I used the word "compensating".

"That's what you get for trying to teach a six year old high level fighting techniques." Both Chase and Abby turned, it was Kera. Chase's face suddenly turned bright red. Kera notice and started to giggle. Chase looked away, flustered. At that moment Abby thought she saw something fly from out of the trees. The next thing she knew Guan was flying right at Chase.

"Monkey's Strike!" Guan shouted as his foot reached Chase's shoulder. In half a second Chase had ducked down, staff stretched across his back.

"Repulse the Money!" In the next half second Chase had struck Guan's foot, forcing it down. Guan tumbled in the air and landed on his face. Chase twirled his staff in his hand and took a cleansing sigh. "And that is how the technique is preformed." Chase said with a grin.

When the memory had faded, the monster was still baring over her. Remembering what Chase had taught her Abby forced her weight to her back and kick the beast's jaw up and off of her. Then she swung her legs around, kicking the creature off balance as it fell to the ground. Abby scrambled back to escape from the beast, but it was no use. All that was behind her was a solid brick wall, with no chance of escape.


	3. Change

Abby pressed her back against the wall as if pushing against it hard enough would allow her to phase through. She looked at the beast horrified that she had done nothing more than just anger it. The beast got back to its feet and shook its head. It turned towards her, looking even more ferocious than before. She expected it to lunge at her, but it didn't, it just staggered towards her growling.

"Stay away." She said in a petrified whisper. She shuddered as tears poured from her eyes, "Don't come any closer." But her pleas were futile, the beast continued to advance towards her. "Please…please…DON'T EAT ME!" Abby pulled her knees to her chest and covered he head. "Chase. Please. I'm scared." Abby didn't dare look at the monster again.

It reached out a clawed hand for the cowering girl. Its growls and hisses turn into almost a whimpering sound. It crawled closer to the girl; its outstretched claw was slowing inching towards her. Then it tapped her lightly on the arm. She flinched, and threw her hand back causing its claws to dig into the girls skin causing and ugly gash down her arm. The girl screamed in pain and clutched her injured arm. The monster's claw retreated. It looked at her, but it wasn't a look of anger. It was surprised; possibly even started by the girl's reaction.

The monster made another whimpering, almost purring noise this time. It learned forward, as if to look at the girl's wound. But when it nudged the girl head she screamed and pushed it aside with her bloodied arm, spreading blood across its snout. She got up and began to run, but soon tripped over a stray piece of rubble. She turned towards the beast expecting it to come after her, but it didn't. Instead it was looking at her blood on its claws; it looked as if it was in shock. She stared back at it, her heart was pounding in her head; she felt like her lungs were on fire.

Then the beast stood back on all fours and gave a deafening roar, Abby closed her eyes. It roared again, but it was strange. It seemed sad. Then a voice came from the beast, but it wasn't human, it sounded more like a snake. "Abby." She opened her eyes. "Abby" Abby slowly turned towards the voice. "Abby!" It was the monster! Its claw reached out to her once again. Abby felt her head spinning and everything was going dark. But right before her eyes shut, Abby saw here brother stretch out wear the monster was, his hands and face covered in her blood.


End file.
